Students are being warned of potential cases of accommodation fraud, with the number of reported rental scams having risen by 22 per cent in the first half of the year.
An Garda Síochána’s advisory comes following the release of Leaving Certificate results last week and with third-level CAO offers due this week.
The force said accommodation fraud cases typically peak at this time of year, as returning and first-time students seek to secure housing for the academic year.
Some 160 such cases were recorded between January and June, an increase of 22 per cent. Losses to affected parties totalled €385,000, compared with €617,000 for all of last year, with about one-third of all accommodation fraud reports occurring during August and September in 2024.
Some 34 per cent of victims of accommodation fraud are under 25, and 66 per cent are under 33, the Garda said.
Around 54 per cent of victims of accommodation fraud are men and 46 per cent are women.
Rental fraud happens when a victim pays money to secure accommodation, typically in the form of a deposit, and subsequently discovers the transaction was fraudulent.
It can occur when the fraudster claims to be out of the country and cannot show renters the property unless they pay a deposit, which is paid and then lost.
It can also happen when the fraudster is living in the property and shows it to a number of people, gets several deposits and then disappears with the money.
The transaction can appear normal until the renter finds that the property does not exist, is already occupied or the keys do not work and the landlord has disappeared.
The Garda National Economic Crime Bureau said there is no such thing as cheap accommodation, especially in urban areas. It should be regarded as a red flag if a property is advertised only through social media, or by a person who will only communicate via Messenger or WhatsApp.
Other warning signs include unsolicited contact or pop-up adverts; a sense of urgency, eg “a one-time offer”; the listing contains grammar or spelling mistakes; or if there are very limited details or pictures of the property.
Students have also been warned about situations where a landlord is unable to meet to show the property in person; a property being offered with no questions asked; and if payment is demanded immediately before signing the lease.
Renters should also be wary of cloned websites, know their consumer rights, only use trusted money transfer systems, never agree to rent a property without seeing it first and ensure keys work.
Gardaí also said, ideally, the property would be registered with the Residential Tenancies Board. – PA
